3 Keys: Canadiens at Maple Leafs, Game 7 of first round

No. 4 Canadiens at No. 1 Maple Leafs
7 p.m. ET; CNBC, CBC, SN, TVAS
Best-of-7 series tied, 3-3

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens will play Game 7 of the Stanley Cup First Round at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
The Maple Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup Playoff series since defeating the Ottawa Senators in seven games in the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and have lost three consecutive Game 7s dating to 2013.
Forward Jason Spezza said Toronto has not lost its enthusiasm after two consecutive overtime losses forced Game 7.
"As kids we've all been through this scenario on our driveways playing road hockey, in our basements playing ministicks," Spezza said. "These are the moments you dream of. And now to be able to live it out, it's exciting."
The Canadiens won their most recent Game 7, a 3-1 victory against the Boston Bruins in the 2014 Eastern Conference Second Round.
"We'll approach it like we have every other night and see where it goes," Montreal forward Eric Staal said. "And then go on from there."
Toronto is 12-12 all-time in Game 7, including 7-1 at home; Montreal is 14-9, including 6-6 on the road.
The winner will play the Winnipeg Jets in the Stanley Cup Second Round.
Here are 3 keys for Game 7:

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1. Replacing Muzzin

Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin will be out at least three weeks with a lower-body injury sustained in a 3-2 loss in Game 6.
Muzzin is the Maple Leafs' most physical defenseman, so expect the Canadiens, led by forwards Corey Perry and Brendan Gallagher, to try to plow their way to the front of the net. Rasmus Sandin, who had a bad giveaway in Toronto's 4-3 loss in Game 5, will be back in the lineup after being scratched for Game 6. Don't be surprised if veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian plays an increased role with Muzzin out.

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2. Canadiens seek another fast start

A quick start has been crucial in each of the Canadiens' past two victories. In Game 5 they built a 2-0 lead midway through the first period on two goals by forward Joel Armia. In Game 6, they outshot the Maple Leafs 7-0 in the first three minutes of the game. Establishing early momentum again will be vital in Game 7 against Toronto, which was the overwhelming favorite before the series and might start feeling the pressure early if things don't go its way.
"We're dynamic, we're moving, we're on the puck and we're playing fast as a team and that doesn't always mean it's the skating, it's the way we think," Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said. "We want to have a good start again tonight. There are a few key points on that that makes us have good starts, and we want to make sure we apply those."

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3. Enjoy the moment

Though the Maple Leafs are 0-6 in series-clinching games since 2018, there are reasons for optimism. Captain John Tavares, who sustained a knee injury and concussion in Game 1 on May 20, won't play -- the knee injury was projected to keep him out for at least two weeks, and there was no timetable for his return from the concussion -- but his appearance on the ice at Toronto's optional morning skate was a source of inspiration. The teams will be playing in front of 550 health care and front-line workers, the first fans to watch an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena in 14 months.
"Clear your mind," Maple Leafs veteran forward Joe Thornton said. "You've got to enjoy the moment and leave it all out on the ice every shift. It starts with the puck drop and ends when that whistle blows. It's going to be a real fun night for us."

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Canadiens projected lineup

Jake Evans - Phillip Danault -- Brendan Gallagher
Tyler Toffoli -- Nick Suzuki -- Cole Caufield
Paul Byron -- Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Josh Anderson
Joel Armia -- Eric Staal -- Corey Perry
Joel Edmundson -- Jeff Petry
Ben Chiarot -- Shea Weber
Brett Kulak -- Erik Gustafsson
Carey Price
Jake Allen
Scratched:Tomas Tatar, Michael Frolik, Alex Belzile, Jon Merrill, , Alexander Romanov, Xavier Ouellet, Cayden Primeau
Injured:Artturi Lehkonen (upper body)

Maple Leafs projected lineup

Zach Hyman -- Auston Matthews -- Mitchell Marner
Alex Galchenyuk -- Nick Foligno -- William Nylander
Ilya Mikheyev -- Alex Kerfoot -- Wayne Simmonds
Joe Thornton -- Pierre Engvall -- Jason Spezza
Morgan Rielly -- TJ Brodie
Travis Dermott -- Justin Holl
Rasmus Sandin -- Zach Bogosian
Jack Campbell
Frederik Andersen
Scratched: Riley Nash, Adam Brooks, Denis Malgin, Martin Marincin, David Rittich, Michael Hutchinson
Injured:John Tavares (concussion/knee), Ben Hutton (illness), Jake Muzzin (lower body)

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Status report

The Canadiens are expected to use the same lineup as in Game 6, Ducharme said. … Dermott likely will move up to the second defense pair with Holl.